Ground-breaking training at Canberra Theatre

IN a ground-breaking hook-up with Canberra’s St Francis Xavier College, has announced that it will host its first behind-the-scenes VET training program.

VET students from left Larissa Caston, Alexandra Pilicic and Alex Parker

Three year 12 students began taking part in the Theatre’s first on-site VET training course earlier this week.

Students Larissa Caston, Alex Parker and Alex Pilicic from St Francis Xavier College are working behind the scenes with the theatre’s technical staff across the next two school terms, gaining valuable hands-on skills that will be credited directly towards their Certificate 2 in Entertainment.

The students will work with lighting designers, sound engineers, mechanists & technical staff on real shows at the theatre, learning what it takes to get a show up and running.

It’s more than possible that the students will use these skills to further their technical theatre education after high school.

Student Larissa Caston said she was “excited,” saying “It’s an amazing opportunity to work in a professional industry rather than working in a school class and to come away with a qualification from it,” adding, “I’ve done work experience at Canberra Theatre before but this time I’m hoping to refine skills I’ve already gained at school…after school I’m hoping to study audio engineering, I’d love to work in a theatre or use it to work in music recording.”

Saint Francis Xavier Principal Angus Tulley commented, “the program offers students the opportunity to experience the challenges faced by those in a working theatre. It is much more than just work experience and it creates wonderful possibilities for the students and the Canberra Theatre Centre.”

The training course was developed by education staff at the theatre alongside staff at St Francis Xavier, so naturally the director of Canberra Theatre Centre, Bruce Carmichael, is particularly chuffed, describing it as “a great way for us to give back to the community and ensure the passion we have for live theatre and entertainment is shared with those in our city”.